Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Disease onset usually occurs in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40, however, the precise underlying cause of MS is unknown. There is currently no cure for this disabling disease and treatment is primarily focussed on management of symptoms.
Irrespective of disease etiology, the immune system has been found to play a central role in the pathogenesis of MS. In particular, the lesions that develop in the brain and/or spinal cord during disease progression are frequently characterised by an excessive inflammatory infiltrate and the presence of autoreactive CD4+/CD8+ T cells and autoreactive B cells. Furthermore, ongoing assault of the CNS mediated by a variety of inflammatory and/or immune cell types appears to be the primary cause of the nerve damage and in particular, the axon demyelination, associated with this disease.
Apheresis is a treatment used for depletion of blood components, such as antibodies, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and blood cells. Leukapheresis is the apheresis treatment used for removal of white blood cells, leukocytes. The patient is connected to an extracorporeal blood circulating system; the blood is drawn from a vein in one arm, passed through a column device and returned into the other arm of the patient. WO2010/029317 describes apheresis columns useful for treating inflammatory conditions including a chemokine immobilised on a solid support.